Radiant energy warmer-drier for textile articles

ABSTRACT

A hollow, generally rectangularly shaped, heat reflecting enclosure, open at top and bottom, has a radiant-heating panel mounted at its center. The heating panel comprises a conductive sheet, which may be an asbestos sheet impregnated with electrically conductive particles, such as graphite, sandwiched between a pair of insulating sheets. The panel is substantially coextensive in size with the area of the larger sides of the enclosure. Top and bottom mounting brackets connected to the sides of the panel support the panel in spaced parallel relation to the larger sides of the enclosure, whereby textile articles such as towels, hosiery and undergarments may be hung over the heating panel within the enclosure for quick, safe drying and warming. An off-on switch and thermostat are connected in series with the heating panel for regulating the energization thereof.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Anthony J. Governale Manhasset; R011 A. Zurwelle, Port Washington, both of N.Y. [21 1 Appl. No. 9,222 [22] Filed Feb. 6, 1970 [45] Patented Dec. 7, 1971 [73] Assignee Elektra Systems, Inc.

Farmingdale, N.Y.

[54] RADIANT ENERGY WARMER-DRIER FOR TEXTILE ARTICLES 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 219/342, 34/202, 34/243, 219/345, 219/385, 219/521 [51 Int. Cl ..F26b 23/06, I-IOSb 3/02 [50] Field ofSearch 219/520,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,625,008 4/1927 Wertheimer 99/401 1,914,190 6/1933 Herr 219/521 Primary Examiner-A. Bartis Attorney-James P. Malone ABSTRACT: A hollow, generally rectangularly shaped, heat reflecting enclosure, open at top and bottom, has a radiantheating panel mounted at its center. The heating panel comprises a conductive sheet, which may be an asbestos sheet impregnated with electrically conductive particles, such as graphite, sandwiched between a pair of insulating sheets. The panel is substantially coextensive in size with the area of the larger sides of the enclosure. Top and bottom mounting brackets connected to the sides of the panel support the panel in spaced parallel relation to the larger sides of the enclosure, whereby textile articles such as towels, hosiery and undergarments may be hung over the heating panel within the enclosure for quick, safe drying and warming. An off-on switch and thermostat are connected in series with the heating panel for regulating the energization thereof.

PATENIEnuEn 11911 3,626,152

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FIG. 4. FIG. 3.

,l0 INVENTOR. HEATER ANTHONY J. GOVERNALE ELE ROLF A. ZURWELLE a 5. ATTORNEY RADIANT ENERGY WARMER-DRIER FOR TEXTILE ARTICLES This invention relates to radiant energy warmer-drier means for textile articles.

The present invention generally comprises a hollow enclo sure having a centrally mounted radiant energy heating panel. Textile articles such as towels, nylon hosiery and undergarments may be hung over the panel within the enclosure. The radiant energy panel is then energized. The radiant energy is reflected back by the enclosure so that substantially all the radiant-heating energy is absorbed by the article hung within the enclosure. The device provides'a quick, safe thermostatically controllable drier for articles such as nylon hosiery, undergarments, towels, and other small articles. The device may be mounted on a wall or may be made portable and hung from a convenient place such as a towel bar.

Accordingly, a principal object of the invention is to provide new and improved radiant energy warmer-drier means for textile articles.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved radiant energy warmer-drier means for articles such as towels, nylon hosiery, undergarments and other small textile articles.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved radiant energy warmer-drier means for textile articles which is light weight and portable.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved radiant energy warmer-drier means for textile articles which is thermostatically controlled.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the inventron.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with one side cover removed to show the heating panel.

FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view illustrating the construction of the heating panel.

FIG. 4 is a side detail view illustrating the heater panel.

FIG. 5 is a schematic circuit'diagram.

Referring to the drawings, the invention generally comprises a metal enclosure generally rectangular in shape and open on top and bottom, having two side covers I and 2 which are connected by a pair of end members. The enclosure is open at the top and bottom. A heating panel 8 is centrally mounted by means of two frame members 6 and 7, connected to the end members by rivets 21. Mounted on the lower frame member 7 is an electrical control box 12 which contains an electrical switch I4 and a pilot light 13 which are adapted to extend through the side panel 1 and control panel 3.

FIG. 3 shows a detail sectional view illustrating the construction of the heating panel. It comprises two side metal panels 8 and 9 which are mounted in the mounting brackets 6 and 7 by means of rivets 21' or other equivalent fasteners. The heating element comprises a panel 10 which may be an asbestos sheet impregnated with electrically conductive particles such as graphite, for instance, as manufactured by CHEMELEX CORPORATION, Danbury, Conn. The heater panel 10 is sandwiched between two insulating sheets 11 and II The panel 10 may be cemented or otherwise mounted between the two-insulating sheets 11 and II and that assembly is mounted on the panel 8. Connected to the lowermounting bar 7 is an electrical control box 12 upon which is mounted the control switch 14 and the pilot light 13.

More specifically, the heating panel 10 has two copper strips .10, 10 imbedded in it which have output terminals which are connected to the electrical supply on leads l8 and 18. When the heating panel is energized, current passes from one copper strip to the other through the conductive graphite particles, the copper strips acting as bus bars. The density of the graphite is chosen to give adesired resistance. A thermostat 15 may be taped onto the panel by means of the tape 17. The control box is connected to a conventional electric cord Referring to FIG. 5, the pilot light 13 is mounted across the heater panel and the on-off switch- 14 and the thermostatic switch 15 are connected in series with heater panel 10.

In a typical embodiment for drying towels, nylon hosiery, etc. and suitable for mounting in a bathroom, the enclosure would be about 2 l+22 and about 3% at the top, tapering down to about 2% at the bottom. The top and bottom of the enclosure are open so that air can circulate through. A unit of this size would normally have a rating of watts and would weight about 8 lbs. keyhole-mounting holes are preferably provided in the rear panel for wall mounting, or if desired, the unit may be hung on any convenient bracket or towel bar by means of hooks. The outer enclosure panels may be of aluminum, finished in decorator colors to match the room decor. The articles 22 to be dried or warmed, such as towels, nylon hosiery, undergarments, etc. are folded and hung over the heating panel within the enclosure. The heating is safe and will not burn clothes since the outer surface of the heater panel does not become too hot, since the heat transmission is by means of radiant energy which reflects back and forth within the enclosure and is absorbed by the article. Nylon hosiery and similar weight articles may be dried in about 10 or l5 minutes, and damp towels may be dried and warmed in a somewhat longer time. The thermostat 15 is controlled to regulate the temperature and drying time and for diflerenttype textile articles.

We claim:

I. A warmer-drier comprising a hollow, generally rectangularly shaped, heat-reflecting enclosure open at the top and bottom, a radiant energy electric-heating panel mounted in the center of said hollow member whereby textile articles may be hung over the top of said panel for drying and warming, said panel comprising a conductive sheet and a pair of insulating sheets, said conductive sheet being sandwiched between said insulating sheets, said panel being substantially coextensive in size to the larger sides of said enclosure, topand bottom-mounting brackets connected to the sides of said enclosure, said brackets being adapted to mount said panel in spaced, parallel relationship to said larger sides" whereby cloth materials may be draped over said panel and inside said enclosure so that the radiant heat is reflected back and forth through said cloth and the rising temperature in said enclosure causes drying air to circulate around said cloth material, said enclosure having top and bottom openings and control means for regulating the temperature of said heating panel.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said conductive sheet is an asbestos sheet impregnated with electrically conductive particles. 

1. A warmer-drier comprising a hollow, generally rectangularly shaped, heat-reflecting enclosure open at the top and bottom, a radiant energy electric-heating panel mounted in the center of said hollow member whereby textile articles may be hung over the top of said panel for drying and warming, said panel comprising a conductive sheet and a pair of insulating sheets, said conductive sheet being sandwiched between said insulating sheets, said panel being substantially coextensive in size to the larger sides of said enclosure, top- and bottom-mounting brackets connected to the sides of said enclosure, said brackets being adapted to mount said panel ''''in spaced, parallel relationship to said largeR sides'''' , whereby cloth materials may be draped over said panel and inside said enclosure so that the radiant heat is reflected back and forth through said cloth and the rising temperature in said enclosure causes drying air to circulate around said cloth material, said enclosure having top and bottom openings ''''and control means for regulating the temperature of said heating panel.''''
 2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said conductive sheet is an asbestos sheet impregnated with electrically conductive particles. 